Cleopatra (1912)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Director:

Charles L. Gaskill

Writer:

Victorien Sardou (play)

Release Date:

13 November 1912 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History

Plot:

The fabled queen of Egypt's affair with Roman general Marc Antony is ulimately disastrous for both of them.

Plot Keywords:

Slave | Queen | Marc Antony | Cleopatra | Suicide

Cast

Helen Gardner	...	Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt (as Miss Gardner)
Pearl Sindelar	...	Iras, Attendant to the Queen (as Miss Sindelar)
Miss Fielding	...	Charmian, Attendant to the Queen
Miss Robson	...	Octavia, Wife of Antony
Helene Costello	...	Nicola, a Child (as Miss Helene)
Charles Sindelar	...	Marc Antony, a Triumvir and General (as Mr. Sindelar)
Mr. Howard	...	Pharon, a Greek Slave and Fisherman
James R. Waite	...	Venditius, a Roman Soldier (as Mr. Waite)
Mr. Osborne	...	Diomedes, a Rich Egyptian (as Mr. Osborn)
Harry Knowles	...	Kephren, Captain of the Guards to the Queen (as Harley Knowles)
Mr. Paul	...	Octavius, a Triumvir and General
Mr. Brady	...	Serapian, an Egyptian Priest
Mr. Corker	...	Ixias, Servant to Ventidius

Also Known As:

Helen Gardner in Cleopatra (copyright title)

Runtime:

88 min (TV version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Tappan, New York, USA

Company:

Helen Gardner Picture Players

Trivia:

Shakespeare's play was produced in London circa 1606-7' - Sardou's play, Cléopatre, opened in Paris on 23 October 1890.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Cleopatra: The First Woman of Power (1999) (V)

Age cannot wither her...

...nor custom stale her infinite variety. - Wm. Shakespeare

How fortunate we are that this early first feature epic survives in near entirety. It stands as a testimonial to one of the greatest and overlooked actresses of early cinema, the divine Helen Gardner. Miss Gardner was a prolific actress of the stage and early screen. She taught pantomine and was possibly the first star to form her own production company, the Helen Gardner Picture Corporation, of which this film was produced. Now granted this film seems stagey and it lacks some of Griffith's techniques but it boasts some fine performances and is important for its historical value. In my opinion Miss Gardner is the finest Cleopatra the screen has ever had. She is every inch the Queen of the Nile, beautiful, majestic, sexy. She had a strong screen presence and talent that is almost forgotten due to the fact that so many of her films are gone, which is why this film is of great importance. This film is based on the play by Victorien Sardou and was directed by Miss Gardner's husband Charles L. Gaskill. Miss Gardner also designed her costumes for this as she did for many of her roles. I had always wanted to see the 1917 Theda Bara version but as long as that film remains lost, Helen Gardner is the quintessential Cleopatra of the screen. Long live the Queen!